Campaign of the Month:
June 2012

Crimson Skies

Warlock

Description: The warlock is an enigma, a person so infused with magic that he manifests power with no training. While his repertoire of effects is small, he has little or no limits on the amount of times he can use them. Warlocks are chaotic creatures at heart, perhaps as a result of the wild magical energy that courses through their veins.

Adventures: Warlocks generally adventure for curiosity or profit. They tend to be selfish and don’t work well in a rigid command structure. While understanding the need to stay within a group, the warlock won’t hesitate to leave the group to pursue something interesting.

Regions: Warlocks are often mistaken for sorcerers, and vice-versa. Nonetheless, these unusual souls seem randomly chosen among any of the world’s populations.

Characteristics: Warlocks are infused with magical energy. This often manifests in minor cosmetic changes to their appearance that fosters a sense of wrongness about them. A human warlock might have catlike eyes, while a dwarven warlock may be hairless. Warlocks tend to be solitary, preferring to be left alone rather than join in camaraderie.

Alignment: Warlocks are a chaotic class, although they run the spectrum between good and evil. Chaotic good warlocks are freedom lovers and freedom fighters, often helping commoners overthrow oppressive regimes. Chaotic neutral warlocks are solitary and selfish, while chaotic evil warlocks live for anarchy and destruction, often against the societies that shunned them.

Background: Warlocks come from varied backgrounds. It is not known how or why the magic picks them; it just does. A common thought is that the warlock has aberration, elemental, fey, or outsider blood in his veins. Many warlocks are driven out of their communities and left to fend for themselves (leading to many scholarly debates about “nature vs. nurture” in regards to the warlock’s allegiance chaos). Warlocks are always male.

Races: Warlocks are found amongst all races, but are most common in races that produce sorcerers. This lends some credence to the “alien ancestor” theory. Most warlocks are human or half-elf, although there are large numbers of gnomish and half-orcish warlocks as well. Role: The warlock is a support class. He only has a few arcane tricks up his sleeve, but he can be relied on to provide them on a regular basis. While not a good substitute for a sorcerer or wizard, the warlock is a great supplement to one.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the warlock.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Warlocks are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.

Arcane Armor Mastery: As the warlock increases in level, his school abilities are less subject to arcane failure while the warlock is wearing armor. At 1st level, the warlock does not suffer an arcane failure penalty when using a school ability while wearing light armor. This extends to medium armor at 5th level and heavy armor at 9th level. The warlock may still select feats to reduce the arcane failure chance when wearing armor that he has yet to master.

Damage Reduction: As the warlock increases in level, he becomes resistant to certain effects. At 3rd level, the warlock receives damage reduction 2 against physical attacks. The warlock must also choose three effects from the following list: cold, cold iron, electricity, fire, or silver. The damage reduction does not count against the three chosen effects.
At higher levels the damage reduction increases. In lieu of an increase, the warlock can remove one of the three effects from his list. He may only do this twice; at least one effect must always be able to overcome his damage reduction.

Cantrips: At 1st level the warlock learns a number of cantrips equal to their Charisma modifier.

School Ability: The warlock does not cast spells. Instead, he is infused with supernatural energy that allows him to perform magical powers at will. The warlock may use his abilities at will, and does not need to seek a nexus to recharge them, they are always at his disposal. A warlock may not learn ritual magic.

At 1st level, the warlock may select two school abilities; he also gains new school abilities at higher levels (see the warlock table). School abilities come from the arcane school lists in The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.

In addition, the warlock may learn additional school abilities listed here. [For ease of play, I have combined all the school abilities below, and modified them for use with the warlock class].

The warlock does not gain any specialist bonuses or bonus spells.

The warlock may only take a school ability less than or equal to his warlock level. He may also take a cantrip in place of a school ability. For example, a 2nd level warlock gets a new school ability. Since he is not yet fourth level, he must select a 1st level ability or cantrip. The warlock does not need to take a lower level school ability in order to select a higher one. For example, a 4th level warlock can select summon monster even if he doesn’t have acid dart. In addition, the warlock may swap school abilities whenever he is able to take a new school ability, but he must replace the old one with a school ability of equal or lesser value (cantrips can only be swapped for other cantrips).

The warlock’s level is used to determine the caster level for school abilities. The DC for any save is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + the caster’s Charisma modifier. School abilities are not spells and thus cannot be affected by metamagic feats. Using a school ability is a standard action.

Abjuration School

CL

Ability

1st

Resistance (Ex): You gain resistance 5 to an energy type of your choice, chosen when you prepare spells. This resistance can be changed as a standard action. At 11th level, this resistance increases to 10. At 20th level, this resistance changes to immunity to the chosen energy type.

1st

Protective Ward (Su): As a standard action, you can create a 10 foot radius field of protective magic centered on you that lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. All allies in this area (including you) receive a +1 deflection bonus to their AC for the duration (1 round minimum). This bonus increases by +1 for every five warlock levels you possess.

4th

Arcane Grip (Su): Any door, window, chest, or other opening with a lid that you touch remains locked as per the arcane lock spell. You must continue to touch the object in order for this effect to remain in place. Anything that can open an arcane lock can also foil this ability.

6th

Energy Absorption (Su): At 6th level, you gain an amount of energy absorption equal to 3 times your warlock level per day. Whenever you take energy damage, apply immunity, vulnerability (if any), and resistance first and apply the rest to this absorption, reducing your daily total by that amount. Any damage in excess of your absorption is applied to you normally.

12th

Break Enchantment (Su): This ability works exactly as the spell of the same name. You can only use this ability on a single person or object once per day.

16th

Mind Veil (Su): Your mind is shielded from scrying or manipulation as per the mind blank spell.

Conjuration School

CL

Ability

1st

Acid Dart (Sp): As a standard action you can unleash an acid dart targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The acid dart deals 1d6 points of acid damage + 1 for every two warlock levels you possess. This attack ignores spell resistance.

4th

Summon Monster (Su): You can summon monsters to aid you as per the Summon Monster II spell. The duration lasts a day. Creatures summoned always have maximum hit points.

8th

Dimensional Steps (Sp): At 8th level, you can use this ability to teleport up to 30 feet per warlock level as a standard action. This teleportation must be used in 5 foot increments and such movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You can bring other willing creatures with you, but you must expend an equal amount of distance for each additional creature brought with you.

12th

Combat Teleport (Su): You can instantly teleport anywhere that you can see. Roll a d20. On a 6-20, you end up exactly where you want to be. On a 2-5, you appear close to it. Roll a d8 to determine the direction (N, NE, E, etc) and then roll a 1d4 to determine the number of 5 foot squares in that direction you’ve moved. If this is impossible (e.g. you were trying to teleport near a wall), then you appear as close as you can in that direction. On a roll of 1, you suffer a mishap. You take 1d10 points of damage and roll again (perhaps changing directions and/or suffering mishaps again). You keep re-rolling as long as you suffer mishaps. In addition, you are dazed for 1d4 rounds.

16th

Phase Self (Su): You can create an ethereal door that only you can pass through. This functions as the phase door spell except that you cannot take or allow anyone else through the passage. The ethereal door only opens as you pass through it and closes as soon as you leave. It is possible for an opponent to target you through the door before your next turn.

20th

Summoning Master (Su): You may use any summon monster spell for this ability.

20th

Summoner’s Charm (Su): Whenever you use your 4th level Summon Monster ability, you can change the duration of your summon monster ability to permanent. You can have no more than one summoned monster duration made permanent in this way at one time. If you designate summoned monster as permanent, the previous spell immediately ends.

Divination School

CL

Ability

1st

Forewarned (Su): You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action. In addition, you receive a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 your warlock level (minimum +1). At 20th level, anytime you roll initiative, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20.

1st

Diviner’s Fortune (Sp): When you activate this power, you can touch any creature as a standard action to give it an insight bonus on all of its attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws equal to 1/2 your warlock level (minimum +1) for 1 round.

4th

See Invisible (Su): You see invisible creatures or objects as per the see invisibility spell.

8th

Scrying Adept (Su): At 8th level, you are always aware when you are being observed via magic, as if you had a permanent detect scrying. In addition, whenever you scry on a subject, treat the subject as one step more familiar to you. Very familiar subjects get a –10 penalty on their save to avoid your scrying attempts.

12th

Analyze Magic (Su): You discern the properties of any magic item as per the analyze dweomer spell.

16th

Find Person (Su): You can locate a person no matter where she is. You can only concentrate on a single individual at a time and, once you change people, you can no longer use this ability for the previous target for the rest of the day.

Enchantment School

CL

Ability

1st

Enchanting Smile (Su): You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every five warlock levels you possess, up to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. At 20th level, whenever you succeed at a saving throw against a spell of the enchantment school, that spell is reflected back at its caster, as per spell turning.

1st

Dazing Touch (Sp): You can cause a living creature to become dazed for 1 round as a melee touch attack. Creatures with more Hit Dice than your warlock level are unaffected.

4th

Heroic Touch (Su): You gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks. You can transfer this ability to another creature with a touch, but you lose the benefits while the other creature is affected. You can take back the bonus at any time.

8th

Aura of Despair (Su): At 8th level, you can emit a 30 foot aura of despair. Enemies within this aura take a –2 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks.

12th

Hypnotic Presence (Su): You can influence anyone within 10 feet with as per a suggestion spell.

16th

Trembling Presence (Su): Any creature that gets within 30 feet of you gets the shaken condition. You may select which creatures within range are affected. There is no saving throw, but magic resistance applies.

Evocation School

CL

Ability

1st

Arcane Bolt (Su): You can make a ranged touch attack (range 100ft + 10ft/level) that does 1d6 points of damage, +1d6 for every two warlock levels. The warlock may choose whether the damage is acid, cold, electricity, or fire.

1st

Intense Spells (Su): Whenever you use an evocation ability that deals hit point damage, add 1/2 your warlock level to the damage (minimum +1). This bonus only applies once to a spell, not once per missile or ray, and cannot be split between multiple missiles or rays. This damage is of the same type as the ability used. At 20th level, whenever you use an evocation ability you can roll twice to penetrate a creature’s spell resistance and take the better result.

1st

Force Missile (Sp): As a standard action you can unleash a force missile that automatically strikes a foe, as magic missile. The force missile deals 1d4 points of damage plus the damage from your intense spells evocation power, if applicable. This is a force effect.

4th

Arcane Burst (Su): You can use his arcane bolt as a burst effect with a 20 foot radius.

8th

Elemental Wall (Sp): At 8th level, you can create a wall of energy that lasts for a number of rounds equal to your warlock level. This wall deals acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, determined when you create it. The elemental wall otherwise functions like wall of fire. You may only have one wall in existence at a time.

12th

Arcane Flurry (Su): You can divide your arcane bolts into multiple bolts that do half damage. You may manifest a number of bolts equal to your caster level/4 (so three at 12th, four at 16th). These bolts require separate ranged touch attacks and cannot manifest a burst effect.

16th

Arcane Eruption (Su): You can now use your flurry bolts for burst effects. Each bolt has a burst effect with a 40 foot radius.

Illusion School

CL

Ability

1st

Blinding Ray (Sp): As a standard action you can fire a shimmering ray at any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The ray causes creatures to be blinded for 1 round. Creatures with more Hit Dice than your warlock level are dazzled for 1 round instead.

4th

Blurry Form (Su): Attacks miss you 20% of the time when you use this ability. Your attacks also have a 20% miss chance while you are in blurry form.

8th

Invisibility Field (Sp): At 8th level, you can make yourself invisible as a swift action. This otherwise functions as greater invisibility.

12th

Phantasmal Demon (Su): You can create a phantom fear that attacks the target. This operates as per phantasmal killer, except that the target is not subject to immediate death and takes 1d6 damage for every 3 warlock levels (4d6 at 12th level, 5d6 at 15th level, 6d6 at 18th level).

16th

Phantasmal Dance (Su): You can affect multiple targets, as per the weird spell. This ability still does not cause death, nor does it cause the Strength damage.

Necromancy School

CL

Ability

1st

Power over Undead (Su): You receive Command Undead or Turn Undead as a bonus feat. You can channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier, but only to use the selected feat. You can take other feats to add to this ability, such as Extra Channel and Improved Channel, but not feats that alter this ability, such as Elemental Channel and Alignment Channel. The DC to save against these feats is equal to 10 + 1/2 your warlock level + your Charisma modifier. At 20th level, undead cannot add their channel resistance to the save against this ability.

1st

Grave Touch (Sp): As a standard action, you can make a melee touch attack that causes a living creature to become shaken for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your warlock level (minimum 1). If you touch a shaken creature with this ability, it becomes frightened for 1 round if it has fewer Hit Dice than your warlock level.

4th

Draining Touch (Su): You can make a melee touch attack. If you succeed then the target is shaken for 1d4 rounds.

8th

Life Sight (Su): At 8th level, you gain blindsight to a range of 10 feet. This ability only allows you to detect living creatures and undead creatures. This sight also tells you whether a creature is living or undead. Constructs and other creatures that are neither living nor undead cannot be seen with this ability. The range of this ability increases by 10 feet at 12th level, and by an additional 10 feet for every four levels beyond 12th.

12th

Touch of Fatigue (Su): Your draining touch now causes a target to become fatigued if he fails a Fortitude save.

16th

Astral Travel (Su): You may travel into the astral plane at will, as per astral projection. Unlike the spell, however, you cannot take anyone else with you.

Transmutation School

CL

Ability

1st

Physical Enhancement (Su): You gain a +1 enhancement bonus to one physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution). This bonus increases by +1 for every five warlock levels you possess to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. You may change the ability score affected from round to round. At 20th level, this bonus applies to two physical ability scores of your choice.

1st

Telekinetic Fist (Sp): As a standard action you can strike with a telekinetic fist, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. The telekinetic fist deals 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage + 1 for every two warlock levels you possess.

4th

Levitate (Su): You can levitate as per the levitate spell.

8th

Change Shape (Sp): At 8th level, you can change your shape for a number of rounds per day equal to your warlock level. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. This ability otherwise functions like beast shape II or elemental body I. At 12th level, this ability functions like beast shape III or elemental body II.

12th

Physically Fit (Su): You can add a +2 bonus to one of your ability scores. You may change the ability score affected from round to round.

16th

Iron Skin (Su): You can turn your body into living iron, as per the iron body spell.